Daughter want to move North of Patterson Park-safe? (Baltimore: home, neighborhoods)

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by summerake23

Hello, I noticed that these threads were a couple of years old and wanted to see if opinions of the area are still the same. I have an opportunity to move into a row house a few blocks north-east of Patterson Park - I'd like to know if it is a relatively safe place for two 24 year old females, and if anyone is aware of the current crime trends. Any information you may have would be very helpful!

The neighborhood has definitely improved in the last two years. Is it ideal? No. It is still a transitional neighborhood but I feel much less apprehensive than I did when I moved in almost 6 years ago. Suggestions: attend a community meeting. They are held the second Monday of every month. Drive through the neighborhood both day and night, especially the block you are interested in. Stick south of Fayette Street although that is changing closer to Hopkins.

There are many single females living in the area.

Welcome to Patterson Park, Baltimore's Best Neighborhood!

[Kimmie_P]

A lot of people (especially on these threads) will say no, but it depends on how far north. If you stay below Fayette you should be fine as long as you have some street smarts. Plenty of singles live in the area problem free. I am a block north of the park and am single female and have not had any issues. For the most part it is a decent area but like jonjj mentioned, still in transition so that scares some people off.

[jrh0341]

I know a girl who owns a place right at the corner of Fayette and Collington, and I'd say its... meh. She parks a nice car on the street with no issues, and has never had any sort of incident. I have a few coworkers that way too. Its fairly tame in that regard. So, is she likely to be the victim of a violent crime in that area? I'd say no, as long as she excercises due caution for Baltimore city living.

HOWEVER, I still wouldn't suggest it. If she lives in that area, she may not actually experience crime, but her comfort level will not be very high either. She will regularly pass shady characters, aggressive beggars, the occasional drug user, etc. There will be plenty of lights, sirens and the the type a general state of disrepair in the area. (though I do believe they are in the process of building some new buildings that will bring the neighborhood up a bit.)

The point is, Fayette seems to be a demarcation line of sorts. Its fine enough on one side, but you can literally look across the street and think (wow, I am NOT walking across the street after sundown.)

At the very least, she needs to drive through the area after hours and ask herself if she would really have peace of mind walking around down there night after night. If I had a daughter I would not let her live there by herself unless she had a few years of experience in real city living.

[ToneGrail]

I would not even drive north of Fayette (if I can help it) let alone walk there after dark.

[Trace21230]

I'm in my 30s and a man and there is no way in hell I would live there. If I had a sister or friend planning to move there, I'd try and talk them out of it.

It's OK during the day and I love Patterson Park, but it is simply not as safe as many other neighborhoods that are just as affordable: Locust Point, Federal Hill, Mt. Vernon, Butcher's Hill (some parts), Fell's Point, Canton, Hamden, Riverside, Charles Village. Heck I'd even say there are neighborhoods in NW, NE and SW that are safer - Violetville, Glen, Ashburton, Cross Country, Mount Washington, and Overlea come to mind.

[jonjj]

Well, there you have it: testimony from people actually living in the neighborhood saying it's okay vs. testimony from folks who don't live in the area who say no. I guess Kimmie was right!

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

I would not even drive north of Fayette (if I can help it) let alone walk there after dark.

I actually agree with you to a certain extent. However, I am very surprised if not shocked to see the blocks around Hopkins changing every day. Many times, I walk Baltimore Street and cut up to the metro stop at Hopkins and never felt any kind of apprehension. North of Orleans-nope. North of Fayette---yes, in some cases. But, if a person was not familiar with the area, I would stick south of Fayette until you got your feet wet a bit. Also, I do go to Northeast Market once in awhile on Monument Street. It's perfectly fine around there during the day. Would I hang out there at night and chit-chat with the locals??? Probably not.

[Trace21230]

Originally Posted by jonjj

Well, there you have it: testimony from people actually living in the neighborhood saying it's okay vs. testimony from folks who don't live in the area who say no. I guess Kimmie was right!

Yeah, because if you don't live there, you can't possibly know whether it's safe.

It's nice that you cheerlead for your neighborhood, but that doesn't change the fact that it is dangerous to live there. You are doing a disservice to the OP by sugarcoating the peril of that area of town.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Trace21230

Yeah, because if you don't live there, you can't possibly know whether it's safe.

It's nice that you cheerlead for your neighborhood, but that doesn't change the fact that it is dangerous to live there. You are doing a disservice to the OP by sugarcoating the peril of that area of town.

I think JonJ gave a pretty fair assessment. He acknowledged that it ain't heaven. And I truly think it's the only neighborhood in Baltimore, aside from Hampden, that actually improved since the housing bubble burst.

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by Trace21230

Yeah, because if you don't live there, you can't possibly know whether it's safe.

It's nice that you cheerlead for your neighborhood, but that doesn't change the fact that it is dangerous to live there. You are doing a disservice to the OP by sugarcoating the peril of that area of town.

I am not "sugarcoating" anything. I have lived here for over 5 years without incident. I have said that it is a transitional neighborhoood and I actually prefer it to Canton, etc due to it's diversity. I lived in Mexico for three years and love the Latin influence occuring in this part of Baltimore.

Perhaps you are doing the OP a diservice by talking out of your a** without first-hand experience.